Bees are the essential components of the environment. They play a vital role in preservation as well as in making a balanced ecosystem. A bee helps in the pollination of the crop and increases agricultural production. Also, their involvement in nature helps us to know about environmental conditions. With the presence of these natural indicators, one could take necessary measures for creating a healthy environment.
Beekeeping is a beautiful technique that requires enough patience, courage and determination. Bringing the bees to the fields may generate another source of income for farmers. The art of working along with the bees is round year management. Bee management results in providing honey, wax, pollen and many other useful products. In addition to these, this low investment activity has the potential to provide employment to many.
The bee family –
Honeybees live in hives and mainly consist of three types of adult bees. A colony of these generally consists of a single queen, worker bees and hundreds of drones.
Queen Bee is the only sexually developed female. She lay drones and workers for the colony.
The worker bees are females which can’t be used for breeding purposes. Their responsibility is taking care of the queen and her eggs, collecting nectar, building comb, and many other activities.
The drones are the males used for mating purposes. They die soon after successful mating.
Here’s a brief idea to set up your own beekeeping farm-
Before starting, remember!
Choose the hive's location such that they are away from homes or areas used for recreation.
The hives should be near nectar and pollen sources along with freshwater sources.
Select a place away from predators, vandals and adverse weather conditions.
Select good quality bees.
Things you need for the beekeeping
Beehives (man-made residents for the honey bees)
Bee harvesting gear (includes smokers, bee suit, bee gloves, gumboots, hive toolset)
Starting with Bees
Bees can be brought into the farms either by buying the already established colonies or by capturing the live swarms. The best time to begin with them is the springtime. The spring days have fruit trees and flowers in bloom that could supply the colony with sufficient nectar and pollen.
(You should keep in mind that the bees are free from diseases)
Honey bee Species-
Rock Bee
Little Bee
Indian Hive bee/ Asian bee
European bee / Italian bee
Dammer Bee
What Bees Need?
The bees require materials like nectar, pollen, propolis and water to live. They use nectar to produce honey. They utilize the pollen to create beebread (used for serving young bees). Propolis are necessary for sealing the cracks and making their hives water-resistant. Water is used as a cooling system for the hives.
Avoid these while rearing:-
Administering antibiotics to the bees.
Spraying of pesticides or insecticides to the bee flora.
Fumigation of colonies except when honey is extracted.
Frequent change of hive sites.
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